A new duck decoy exhibit is currently being showcased at the Babylon Village Historical & Preservation Society for the next six months, with the help of the Long Island Decoy Collectors Association. The grand opening was held on Sunday, June 25, and was then followed by guest speaker Steven J. Sanford, a retired ecologist who has been working with duck decoys since he was a young child.
“My dad was a very accomplished woodworker, he built everything out of wood, like boats,” Steven said. “Quite frankly, he was too busy to work on decoys, so he never really wanted to make decoys, so I said ‘I’ve gotta do that someday.’”
The exhibit showed various duck decoys that were made by John Lee Baldwin (1968-1938), a native from Babylon known for his woodwork, who loved to make duck decoys, according to the Museum’s exhibit.
Decoy display as part of the exhibit at Babylon Historical & Preservation Society.
“I would like to take a minute to thank the Historical Society for all they do. Just this renovation alone took so much time and effort,” said Babylon Village Mayor Mary Adams who also attended the show. “Our history here is so important and I thank all the volunteers for helping to keep our history alive today.”
Judy Skillen, president of the Babylon Village Historical Society, was one of the main organizers of the event. “We decided to do duck decoys because Babylon played an important part in the duck decoy industry,” she said.
One of the people who attended the opening of the exhibit was Pat Chiodo, the president of the Lindenhurst Rotary Club. “I was motivated to take a harder look at the exhibit after Steve’s presentation,” Chiodo said. “I had looked around before, but I was just looking around, but once he gave his talk, I felt more informed.”
Another attendee, Mike Babich from Amityville, has been making decoys for 50 years. “It’s a lot of information for people of the younger generation to learn about,” he said. “These kids have never seen any of the history that we have with decoys on Long Island.”
A member of the Long Island Decoy Collectors Association, Mike’s nephew, Anthony Babich, does a lot of photography for the association. “For me, it’s all about the history of Long Island,” he said. “Every decoy comes with a story, and you never know how old a decoy can be.”
A member of the Long Island Decoy Collectors Association, Mike’s nephew, Anthony Babich, does a lot of photography for the association. “For me, it’s all about the history of Long Island,” he said. “Every decoy comes with a story, and you never know how old a decoy can be.”
